Eta kappa Nu

About The Society

Eta Kappa Nu is the honor society for students majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering. It was founded at the University of Illinois in the Fall of 1904. Senior and Juniors with High Academic Achievement and Leadership Potential are invited to join.

The Emblem of Eta Kappa Nu is the Wheatstone Bridge, which is an electrical instrument capable of determining the value of an unknown element when the values of the three other bridge elements are known. The significant analogy, which for Eta Kappa Nu, is that only when the bridge is adjusted to be in perfect balance is the desired solution obtained. Eta Kappa Nu members strive to lead a balanced life, a life in which scholarship, character, and attitude are jointly developed. The 3 known quantities are SCHOLARSHIP, CHARACTER, and ATTITUDE. When these three are properly balanced, then the unknown, SUCCESS, is determined.

Eta Kappa Nu is abbreviated HKN, since the Greek name for amber is elektron, spelled Eta Lambda Epsilon Kappa Tau Rho Omicron Nu. From this word, the words electricity, electron, and electronic are derived. The name Eta Kappa Nu comes from the first, forth, and last letters, Eta Kappa Nu. The practice is to use the English capital letter H for Eta not to confuse Eta Kappa Nu with EKN (Epsilon Kappa Nu).

The University of Hartford Chapter, Iota Epsilon, was chartered on November 3, 1984 with 31 Charter Members and Professor Richard Donovan as its faculty advisor. Upon Professor Donovan's retirement, Professor Robert I. "RIB" Brockett became its advisor. Upon Professor Brockett's retirement, Professor Ladimer S. Nagurney became the Chapter's third faculty advisor.